The band was noticed by the famous British recording label EMI and was soon made an interesting offer. This was the historical moment when Aktus changed its name to HAYDAMAKY in honour of those who fought in Haydamachyna (a peasant rebellion against foreign oppression in eighteenth-century Ukraine). The new name associated the band’s music with ideas of freedom and justice, establishing an even tighter link with Ukrainian folk culture, and taking the band to a totally new stage.

A contract with HAYDAMAKY was EMI’s first deal in Ukraine. The year 2001, saw the release of HAYDAMAKY’s self-titled album. It was the music of the new millennium.